06/11/2024
Nicole Newton

The best and worst book-to-movie adaptations

Some of the most memorable movies have started on the pages of a book. From classics such as Gone With The Wind and Dracula, to fan-favourite franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings, it’s no surprise that Hollywood loves adapting books for the silver screen.

However, for every successful adaptation, there’s a flop – films that, despite big budgets and big names, didn’t quite capture the magic of the books they came from. Let’s dive into the best and worst book-to-movie adaptations, highlighting those that thrilled us and those that missed the mark.

In this blog:

The best book-to-movie adaptations

These movies (in our opinion) have done justice to their source material and rightfully earned a place among the best book adapted movies:

The Shawshank Redemption

Based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption from his short story collection Different Seasons, The Shawshank Redemption is a timeless film about hope and friendship.

The Shawshank Redemption follows the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker wrongly convicted of murder, as he navigates the harsh realities of prison life and tries to find a way to reclaim his freedom.

The movie is surprisingly different from the original source material, choosing to take King’s character arcs and build them out further into a feature-length film.

Despite a slow start at the box office, it’s now a cult classic and one of the highest-rated films of all time. It’s proof that movies based on Stephen King books don’t always have to be horror, and they don’t have to stay 100% true to the books they’re adapted from to be huge hits.

Buy the film – The Shawshank Redemption | Buy the book – Different Seasons

Forrest Gump

Adapted from Winston Groom’s novel of the same name, Forrest Gump became an instant classic thanks to Tom Hanks’ unforgettable portrayal of Forrest.

Forrest Gump tells the story of a kind-hearted, simple man who unwittingly influences key moments in American history while searching for love and purpose.

For the most part, the movie stays true to the book, skipping a few of Forrest’s activities and instead further building his relationships with love interest Jenny and other main characters including Lieutenant Dan.

Buy the movie – Forrest Gump 

Dune (2021)

Frank Herbert’s Dune was long considered too complex for the big screen, with attempts such as David Lynch’s 1984 film tanking at the box office. That was, until Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation, followed by Dune: Part 2 in 2024, both of which nailed the epic scope of Herbert’s vision.

Dune follows Paul Atreides, a young noble, as he faces danger on the desert planet Arrakis. There, he’s drawn into a struggle over spice, a rare resource that offers immense power, ultimately finding himself at the centre of a deadly battle.

While some characters were cut and the timeline was significantly faster than that of the books, the movies stayed faithful and offered stunning visuals, making it one of the best movies adapted from books for both fans of the novel and new viewers alike.

Buy the movie – Dune | Buy the book – Dune

Jaws

Peter Benchley’s Jaws terrified readers, but Steven Spielberg’s adaptation made waves (pun intended), creating one of the first summer blockbusters. The story follows a small coastal town terrorised by a massive great white shark, as a police chief, a marine biologist and a shark hunter team up to stop it.

The plot in Spielberg’s blockbuster stays true to Benchley’s novel but focuses more on the suspenseful hunt for the shark. The biggest change from book to movie was Spielberg’s decision to tweak the main characters Sherrif Martin Brody and Matt Hooper, making them much more likeable on screen than their counterparts on the pages.

The suspense, the iconic theme, and of course, the shark, made Jaws a masterpiece and a classic among movies based on books in the horror and thriller genres. Some even argue that the small changes Spielberg made to the plot made the movie significantly better than the book.

Buy the movie – Jaws | Buy the book – Jaws

The Exorcist

William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist was chilling enough on the page, but the film adaptation elevated the horror to another level, becoming one of the scariest book adaptations of movies ever made.

The story centres on a young girl possessed by a demonic force, leading her desperate mother to enlist two priests for an intense and terrifying exorcism. Since the screenplay was written by original author Blatty, the movie is extremely faithful to the book and hardly deviates from the original storyline.

Buy the movie – The Exorcist

The Green Mile

Another adaptation of a Stephen King novel, The Green Mile showcased Tom Hanks in a heart-wrenching story about redemption, justice and mercy. Set on death row in a 1930s prison, the film follows Paul Edgecomb, a corrections officer who forms a surprisingly deep bond with John Coffey, a gentle giant who is wrongfully accused of murder.

The movie stayed true to the spirit of the book, omitting a few small subplots but keeping most things the same. Thanks to an amazing cast and a great plot from King, the movie went on to touch audiences worldwide with its unique take on life and death.

Buy the movie – The Green Mile | Buy the book – The Green Mile

Book adaptations that missed the mark

Not all book adaptations of movies live up to their potential. Here are some adaptations that didn’t do justice to the books they came from:

World War Z

Fans of Max Brooks’ novel World War Z were excited for the movie – until they saw it. While the film became the highest-grossing zombie movie to date and enjoyed commercial success, it shared little with the book, frustrating both Brooks and fans of the novel.

The book takes a documentary-style approach with eyewitness accounts detailing the global impact of the zombie apocalypse, all while mixing in political and cultural satire that criticises corporate greed, government incompetence and human short-sightedness.

In stark contrast, the movie transforms the original storyline into a CGI-filled action-thriller that focuses on a former United Nations investigator, played by Brad Pitt, who races against time to find a solution to the zombie outbreak.

There’s no argument that Pitt delivered a strong performance and that the movie is great in its own right, but as far as faithful book adaptations go, the book and the movie only have two things in common: the title and the zombies.

Buy the movie – World War Z | Buy the book – World War Z

It Ends With Us

Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us is a powerful story that explores themes of love, resilience and the struggles of overcoming a toxic relationship. However, the movie adaptation missed the emotional core of the book.

The novel follows Lily Bloom as she navigates her relationship with a charismatic yet abusive neurosurgeon while confronting the painful memories of her past and her father’s abusive behaviour.

Unfortunately, by simplifying character arcs and glossing over key moments, the film left many fans feeling short-changed. The film missed the chance to convey the complex exploration of love, domestic abuse and personal growth that defined the original story.

Buy the book – It Ends With Us

The Dark Tower

A towering disappointment, The Dark Tower had an entire Stephen King series to draw from but somehow fell flat on almost every front.

The Dark Tower book series is a sprawling, genre-blending epic that follows Roland Deschain, the last Gunslinger, on his quest to reach the Dark Tower. This seven-book saga weaves elements of Westerns, horror, sci-fi and fantasy, creating a rich and intricate narrative that explores themes of destiny, sacrifice and the nature of reality itself.

However, the movie adaptation attempted to condense this intricate story into a single film, resulting in a disjointed storyline and oversimplified plot. Fans were disappointed by the film’s rushed approach, which lacked the expansive world-building that made the books so compelling.

Buy the movie – The Dark Tower | Buy the first book – The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger

The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a beloved adventure, but stretching this short book into three movies turned it into a bloated journey. The tale follows the simple yet courageous hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as he helps a group of dwarves reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug.

The story is known for its charming simplicity, focusing on themes of bravery, friendship and finding one’s place in the world. However, the movie adaptation expanded this single book into a huge three-film series. This choice added extensive CGI battles and new subplots, losing much of the book’s intimate and lighthearted spirit. Ultimately, Bilbo’s story was overshadowed by a focus on action and visual effects, making fans long for a single adaptation that stayed closer to Tolkien’s original vision.

Buy the movie – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Buy the book – The Hobbit

The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train captivated readers with its dark, twist-filled mystery told through the eyes of an unreliable narrator – but the movie adaptation failed to recapture the suspense.

The story follows Rachel, an alcoholic who becomes obsessed with a couple she observes daily from her train window, only to find herself entangled in an unsettling mystery. Through Rachel’s fragmented memories and flawed perspective, the novel explores themes of trauma, obsession and deception.

However, the movie adaptation struggled to capture the same depth and tension, despite Emily Blunt’s compelling performance. Shifting the setting from London to New York and streamlining key plot points, the film lacked the psychological intrigue that made the book so gripping, leaving many fans disappointed by its more straightforward approach.

Buy the movie – The Girl on the Train | Buy the book – The Girl on the Train

The Lovely Bones

Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones is a heartbreaking, otherworldly story, but the film adaptation struggled to balance its darker themes with fantastical elements.

The book tells the haunting story of Susie Salmon, a young girl who, after being murdered, watches from a unique limbo as her family struggles to cope with their loss and her killer remains at large.

The novel weaves together themes of grief, justice and the afterlife, exploring both the sorrow and resilience of those left behind. In its transition to film, however, The Lovely Bones didn’t deliver the emotional depth of the book, leaving audiences feeling detached rather than moved.

While visually striking, the movie leaned heavily on CGI and fantasy aspects, which at times overshadowed the emotional gravity of Susie’s story. As a result, audiences felt that the film lacked the intimate and heart-wrenching depth of the book, missing the powerful connection that had resonated so strongly on the page.

Buy the movie – The Lovely Bones | Buy the book – The Lovely Bones

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